Pictures or it didn’t happen

Yesterday I upgraded my phone to iOS 10.
I spent a full hour playing with the new features in iMessages alone. I sent gif images, stickers, bursts of confetti, and floaty balloons to the family text group for so long that two of them went dark on me. Apparently if you have a real job or are in a college class it’s annoying to get adorable cat gifs or funny emoji stickers over and over and over.”
And over.

And while I still haven’t figured out a few of the other new features, like how to make my phone find my car in a parking garage (but really) or come to love the fun new accelerated battery-depletion factor, after like 8 years of having an iPhone I was finally able to delete the Stocks App so I feel like the day was a success.

Doesn’t take much anymore, you guys.

Since I skipped the PoIDH post last week (there was a nap—or two— to blame) we’ve got some catching up to do. Grab something pumpkin-spiced and let’s get to it.

So week before last this happened—

My little Thing 2 is a high school sophomore.

Seriously, my kids are growing older so quickly that the feeling of panic that has taken up residence inside of me has almost made me numb.

Of course, that could be the wine.

Speaking of wine, last weekend the husband and I had some time to kill after a nice al fresco dinner so we declined dessert in favor of this—

Making good choices together since 1988.

I spent a lovely morning channeling my inner Joanna Gaines with my mama at a fabulous, local, repurposed junk store called “Mama’s Happy” that puts on a big artisan market each year (because putting the word artisan before anything makes it suddenly hipster).

Happy, hipster mamas

One of about 50 tents full of antiques, repurposed furniture, jewelry, and other trinkets you cannot live without.

Something I couldn’t live without?

Should be the new Minnesota state slogan.

Every year on the first and last days of school I bake chocolate cupcakes. Before I lose all the credibility I’ve established over the past four years of hating to cook, keep in mind those are pretty much the only two times a year I do it.
This year, however, the sophomore had just made cupcakes a couple of days before and we still had a lot leftover so I had to improvise.

You can call me Betty.

I can always tell it’s the end of summer when my deck plants start to attack.

Here’s a ‘before’ pic from May so can fully grasp the gravity of the situation—

Don’t worry about us, I keep the deck door locked tight this time of year to protect from the invasion.

So the other night husband and I were trolling Target—as we do—and came upon the Halloween costumes.
Like I needed a reason not to immediately put this one on (and no, the Target employees who were unpacking costumes right down the aisle from me and giving me the stink eye didn’t faze me).

Landshark.

If the head would’ve just stayed up this would totally be in my closet right now.

*BTW, for you SNL fans, check out this four-minute clip I found when I was trying to find a good link to use for the Landshark. It’s all the best SNL moments, and it is awesome.

Some of you know I live in the sticks in a neighborhood surrounded by farmland (in case you’re wondering, we grow lots of corn and soybeans here in Minnesota – you’re welcome). On fall days like this I love taking long walks on the farm roads, and can almost convince myself that the 18 years I’ve spent here have been worth it.

That’s it for this week. I’m off to The Happy Place for our small lake town’s fall festival this weekend and you know what that means—
Pizza and beer?
Obviously, but also lots of pictures for next week’s post. I’ll even try to take some of things other than my food.
And don’t forget, you can follow along on Instagram, too!